mermaid inn or 26 seats?

[chundi]

thinking about going to one of these places saturday night. i know they are pretty different, but both in the neighborhood. any thoughts on either? is mermaid inn stuffy at all? 26 seats looks interesting but i don't know much about it.

thanks

[wrathofcannes]

Def. recommend Mermaid Inn. Never tried the other place...

[emma]

anyone know if there has been a change of management/chef at 26 seats? i had a meal there several years ago that was fantastic and really impressive. sad to hear that is no longer the case.

[mas]

i'd definitely choose mermaid inn.

i've only been to 26 seats once. it's (as the name suggests) very small, but cozy. service is very friendly. the food is ok. i had a steak au poivre and the cut of meat itself wasn't that great. again, it's cozy and delightful......but the food isn't as good.

mermaid? the front room i find cozy (though loud and very casual). the back room kinda sucks though. it reminds me of a "rec room" that we would have had growing up in wisconsin. fake brick or paneled walls, indoor/outdoor carpeting, drop ceiling. i don't remember if it actually has these details or not - but that's what i remember!

[jth]

get a reservation for mermaid, it's booked very often

[wleatherette]

i really like the mermaid inn. it's definitely not stuffy, and in fact will probably be very lively on a saturday.
i haven't tried 26 seats but recently met some friends for drinks after their dinner there. the report was not very favorable.

[eeee]

Do you like seafood? because there's nothing else on the Mermaid Inn menu. I like it, though.

[Lucia]

Mermaid Inn is not stuffy at all--it's very laid back. That would be my first choice as my last dinner at 26 seats was pretty mediocre.